1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an ocular eye treatment and inspection speculum, namely a metered spray eye mist apparatus and a method of operation therefor. In particular, this invention relates to an eye mist apparatus for fixing open the eyelids and fixing the eyeball in spot for inspection or administering a metered amount of medication to the eye.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Inspecting and treating the human eye, and in particular applying medicine to the eyeball, is a sensitive and usually difficult task. The eye is a very sensitive area of the body and it is often difficult for someone, such as a physician, ophthalmologist or oculist, to treat and inspect the eye because a patient is unable to comfortably maintain his or her eyelids in an open, unblinking, position. Additionally, the body reacts such that it causes tears to be produced and the eye retracts when the eye lids are forced open or fixed for an extended period of time. Even more complicating to personally administering medicine can be the lack of motor skills, arthritis or disability due to age.
In the past, medications and irrigations for the eye have been applied as drops on the eye""s anterior surface, which requires a steady hand for holding and applying the medicine, as well as a flexible neck for moving the head and positioning the eye to accept the medication. The process is usually difficult and messy. This is especially true for elderly people, who are more likely to require medications of this type. Medications and irrigations are frequently required for individuals with glaucoma, infections such as conjunctivitis (red-eye), injuries to the eyes or contact lens wearers.
There have been several developments to assist patients in applying medication to the eye. These prior developments focus on easing the application of a drop of liquid medication onto the eye""s surface. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,960,407 to Cope; 5,611,788 to Marchment; 4,792,334 to Py; 4,946,452 to Py; and 5,267,986 to Py, each disclose an apparatus that fits over a nozzle of an eyedropper. The apparatuses disclosed in each of these patents has a contoured opening to fit around or within the peri-orbital area of the eye of the patient. These devices hold the eyelids open so the medicine can supposedly drip freely onto the eye""s surface. However, it is not uncommon for the drops to miss the eye, or for the contoured opening to improperly hold the eyelids open. Either way, the drop of medicine is not administered to the anterior surface of the eye.
Alternatively to the above, there have been attempts to redirect the drop and apply it to a specific point of the eye. For example, the Marchment reference discloses a flange that bears against the patient""s face and pushes the lower eyelid downward so the eyedrops are dispensed into the lower portion, or cul-de-sac, at the very lowest portion of the anterior surface of the eye. Likewise, the 4,946,452 reference to Py discloses a flexible bar adapted to engage the facial tissue below the eye, displacing the lower eyelid and dispensing the medicine directly into the cul-de-sac of the eye.
The problem with devices of this type is they require a significant amount of manual dexterity to position the apparatus over the eye, and a steady hand to maintain the apparatus over the eye. Additionally problematic, the above devices require patients to tilt their head back so the medicine bottle is in a vertical position, allowing the drop to fall into the eye by force of gravity. This is often difficult for elderly arthritic patients who experience difficulty moving the neck, or have weak and unsteady hands.
Significantly, all of these prior art apparatuses dispense the medicine in a drop. There are several drawbacks associated with dispensing eye medicine as a drop. It is difficult to control the drop size, and the number of drops (i.e., the amount of medicine applied to the eye). It is also difficult to evenly distribute the medicine over the entire anterior surface of the eye, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the medication and slowing any effective healing process.
The use of conventional eye droppers makes it difficult to control the quantity of medicine applied to the eye. Too much medicine simply spills over the eyelid making the application messy and costly. Not getting enough medicine administered to the eye will result in incomplete treatment, possibly extending the patient""s discomfort.
Prior art devices dispense a drop of medicine or fluid onto the eye, or into the cul-de-sac of the eye, where it travels directly along the excretory path of the eye and out the tear ducts. Much of the medicine is lost through the tear ducts as soon as it is applied to the eye, or remains in the cul-de-sac where it cannot be distributed over the eye""s surface by blinking.
In some of the above mentioned references, there is no way for prior art devices to control locating the opening of the dispenser properly over the eye socket. For example, the dispenser could be pushed directly into the eyeball possibly causing injury to the eye. The 5,267,986 reference to Py has a finger-like projection that could easily cause damage to the eye if not accurately and properly located. A sudden, unexpected movement by the user could result in the projection injuring the eyeball.
Thus, there remains a long felt, significant and unfulfilled need for an ocular treatment and inspection apparatus that does not require extensive manual dexterity to position and operate, simplifying the application of medicine to the eye. The apparatus must not have any potentially damaging projections and somebody with a weak or unsteady hand must be able to operate the apparatus with ease, and without the potential for injury. Likewise, the apparatus must be capable of being used for other treatments to the eye; for example, viewing the eye during an ocular examination, looking for a foreign object in the eye, or in conjunction with glaucoma testing. There is also a need for an ocular treatment apparatus that is capable of dispensing medicine (in different forms) in the eye in an effective, accurate and measured manner.
The present invention relates generally to an ocular treatment and inspection apparatus that opens the eyelid and fixes the eyeball in spot for treating the eye by dispensing medicine into the eye or for simply viewing the eye. When the ocular treatment apparatus is used as a medicine dispenser, the medicine is dispensed as a metered spray, mist or dispersed powder for more accurate and thorough coverage of the eye""s surface with less waste than medicine applied in drop form. The present invention is also capable of being used in conjunction with standard glaucoma tests because it opens and fixes the eye for the patient without discomfort.
The ocular treatment and inspection apparatus of the present invention preferably includes an inner housing having a peripheral edge for engaging and conforming with the eyelids and the eyeball. The peripheral edge of the inner housing opens the eyelids and fixes the eyeball in spot by making peri-ocular contact about the outside of the eyelids over the eye. The eyelids are retracted off of the eye, exposing the anterior surface of the eyeball.
The inner housing has an opening therethrough. A peri-ocular end of the inner housing is placed over the eye, as described above, and the opposite end of the inner housing is used to view the eye or it can be adapted to receive a medicine or fluid dispenser.
An outer housing, also having a peripheral edge, is concentrically aligned with the inner housing. The peripheral edge of the outer (or peri-orbital) housing conforms to the bony orbit surrounding the eye. The outer housing holds the entire ocular treatment apparatus in place over the eye. The ocular treatment and inspection apparatus rests against the bony peri-orbital region surrounding the eye, instead of directly on the soft tissue surrounding the eye, or the eyeball itself.
The outer, peri-orbital housing acts as a stop against the bony, peri-orbital region allowing the inner housing to enter only a predetermined distance into the eye socket, protecting the soft tissue around the eye and the eyeball itself from intrusion by the inner housing. The longitudinal position of the outer housing relative to the inner housing is adjustable for individual users and can be set by a set screw or any other similar device which will maintain the relative position of the inner and outer housing thereby preventing the inner housing from protruding too far into the eye socket.
The inner housing preferably is shaped to draw the lower portion of the eyelid away from the eye by having an angled profile on the peri-ocular end of the inner housing. The upper portion of the inner housing first contacts the upper part of the eyelid since it is longer than the lower portion of the inner housing which contacts the lower part of the eyelid, accomplishes this objective.
The peripheries of ends of the inner and outer housings are coated with a hypo-allergenic, rubber or latex material to prevent the apparatus from slipping on the skin due to oils and tears on the skin. The hypo-allergenic material is safe to the skin and aids the user in holding the ocular treatment apparatus in place over the eye. The coating also provides a surface softer than the hard plastic housing for contacting the skin, making the ocular treatment apparatus comfortable.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the ocular treatment apparatus dispenses medicine into the eye. The portion of the dispenser that releases and directs the medication or fluid fits into one end of the inner housing. The body of the dispenser is preferably bent at an angle relative to a medicine vial so pressure applied to the dispenser in a vertical direction releases medicine in a horizontal path and is applied directly onto the surface of the eye. This eliminates the need to contort the head and neck to allow medicine to xe2x80x9cdropxe2x80x9d vertically into the eye as required by conventional eyedrops.
The medicine dispenser of the present invention is used in conjunction with a medicine vial similar to an inhaler used by asthmatics in that it dispenses a metered spray of medication or fluid by applying pressure to a medicine vial disposed within the dispenser. The spray of medicine is applied evenly over the surface of the eye. The quantity and application of medicine to the eye can be strictly controlled, thereby eliminating messy drips and spillage. Additionally, the spray mist presents a more thorough coverage than a drop dispensed into the cul-de-sac of the eye where it mixes with tears and runs directly out the tear ducts of the eye.
The medicine dispenser is rotatably mounted to the inner housing for positioning at any position comfortable for the user. This is especially convenient for both left handed and right handed people administering medication in both eyes.
In another embodiment of the present invention in which the ocular treatment and inspection apparatus is primarily used to view the eye, a handle is rotatably mounted to either the inner or outer housing. The handle allows a physician, attendant or even the patient to hold the ocular treatment apparatus in a comfortable position conducive to effectively viewing the eye.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an ocular treatment and inspection apparatus capable of being used in an upright position eliminating the need for users to tilt their head in an awkward position to administer medicine.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an ocular treatment apparatus that is easy and safe to use.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ocular treatment apparatus that is capable of being used to view the eye, dispense medicine into the eye, or to provide treatment to the eye in which the apparatus has a first inner housing having a peri-ocular end and a second outer housing having a peri-orbital end.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an ocular treatment apparatus that can apply medicine horizontally to the eye in a uniform, effective manner.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an ocular treatment apparatus that is adjustable to suit individual user""s needs showing a color-coded fixation feature.
Other advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.